The masked killer is thought to be the same jihadist with a London accent who carried out the on-screen slaughter of US reporter James Foley a fortnight ago.

ASHYA PARENTS RELIEVED TO BE FREE

The parents of brain tumour patient Ashya King said they were "relieved" and "tired" as they left a Spanish prison and prepared to be reunited "as soon as possible" with their five-year-old son.

Brett and Naghmeh King were arrested on Saturday after they took Ashya from Southampton General Hospital without the consent of doctors last Thursday.

They walked free from Soto del Real prison near Madrid after British authorities dropped the case against them.

£3.5 BILLION ORDER FOR ARMOURED VEHICLES

The Ministry of Defence is signing a £3.5 billion contract for almost 600 new armoured vehicles on the eve of Nato's summit in Wales, at which Britain will make the case for increased defence spending by the alliance's 28 member states.

The contract for 589 Scout Specialist Vehicles, being signed at General Dynamics in Oakdale, south Wales, is the largest single order placed by the MoD for armoured vehicles for more than 30 years. Delivery of the first vehicles is expected in 2017, with a training establishment and first squadron due to be equipped by mid-2019 and a brigade ready to deploy by the end of 2020.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who was today travelling to the summit venue near Newport ahead of Thursday's opening of the two-day gathering, said the contract would secure 1,300 jobs across the UK and sustain 300 posts in Wales.

MEETING OVER EXPLOITATION REPORT

The leaders of Rotherham's under-fire council will meet today to discuss the devastating report which revealed at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited in the town.

The council's ruling Labour cabinet is meeting in public to discuss the report by Professor Alexis Jay which outlined shocking details of exploitation over a 16-year period with examples of girls who were raped, trafficked, threatened with extreme violence and ignored by the statutory authorities.

The Jay Report sparked a wave of criticism of police, councillors and local authority officials but only council leader Roger Stone has resigned in its wake.

CALL TO G20 NATIONS OVER CORRUPTION

Corruption deprives developing countries of at least one trillion US dollars (£600 billion) a year, according to a new report from anti-poverty charity One.

The charity said as many as 3.6 million deaths could be prevented each year if action was taken to stop cash from business activities in poor countries - including the extraction of oil, gas and minerals - being illegally siphoned off.

It called on rich nations gathering in Australia for the G20 summit in November to agree steps to crack down on "shady" deals to exploit the natural resources of the world's poorest countries, the use of phantom firms, money laundering and tax evasion.

The multi-millionaire former Take That singer was accused earlier this year of being involved in an "aggressive" tax avoidance scheme.

Barlow, a prolific tweeter, refused to comment after coming under a deluge of criticism amid demands he be stripped of his OBE when the story broke in May.

AMERICAN APPAREL 'SCHOOL ADS' AXED

An ad for American Apparel's "back to school" range has been banned for "inappropriately sexualising" girls and potentially normalising predatory sexual behaviour.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the two ads, which both showed the model photographed from behind from a low angle, imitated voyeuristic "up-skirt" shots which had been taken without the subject's consent or knowledge.

One showed the model wearing a skirt, top and white underwear bending over to touch the ground with her crotch and buttocks visible while the second showed her leaning into a car with her buttocks visible.

WORMWOOD SCRUBS 'FILTHY AND UNSAFE'

One of the country's most well-known prisons has been heavily criticised by inspectors after it was found to be unsafe, "filthy" in places and under-resourced.

HMP Wormwood Scrubs, a Victorian jail in west London, experienced major structural changes in late 2013 which led to a "large tranche of experienced staff" leaving, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said.

The prison, which has held notable inmates including Oscar Wilde's lover Lord Alfred Douglas and rock stars such as Pete Doherty and the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, has seen six prisoners take their lives since its last inspection in 2011, with five committing suicide in 2013 alone.

EBOLA SURVIVOR FEARED HE WOULD DIE

A US doctor who survived after contracting Ebola while doing missionary work in Liberia has told how he feared he would die.

Dr Kent Brantly said he is "very close" to another doctor recently diagnosed with the disease and has spent time in "tearful prayer" for him.

Earlier, officials with the North Carolina-based missionary group Serving In Mission had announced the other doctor, a male obstetrician, had contracted the disease.

ALL EYES ON KIM AT AWARDS FOR MEN

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian stole the show at a glitzy awards do - designed to celebrate men.

The socialite, 33, who is in the UK with her rapper husband Kanye West and their daughter North, was presented with the Woman prize at the GQ Men Of The Year ceremony.